Cluster assembly and connector clip therefor

ABSTRACT

A cluster assembly having a block having three longitudinal passageways therethrough, said block receiving three connector clips. The connector clips each include, as a pin-receiving receptacle, a bottom wall having a hole in it which is slightly undersized compared to the pin which it receives and two side walls projecting perpendicularly with respect to the bottom wall. The assembly block has at least one hole communicating with each passageway and abutment means on the block and clip respectively to retain the clip within the passageway with the hole in the clip aligned with the hole in the block.

United States Patent Heimbrock CLUSTER ASSEMBLY AND CONNECTOR CLIP THEREFOR Henry H. Heimbrock, Cincinnati, Ohio Van Products Incorporated, Cincinnati, Ohio Filed: May 25, 1972 Appl. No.: 256,826

Inventor:

Assignee:

US. Cl 339/217 S, 339/192 R, 339/256 R Int. Cl H01r 9/08 Field of Search 339/217, 192, 219, 339/256, 258

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attorney-James S. Hight et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A cluster assembly having a block having three longitudinal passageways therethrough, said block receiving three connector clips. The connector clips each include, as a pin-receiving receptacle, a bottom wall having a hole in it which is slightly undersized compared to the pin which it receives and two side walls projecting perpendicularly with respect to the bottom wall. The assembly block has at least one hole communicating with each passageway and abutment means on the block and clip respectively to retain the clip within the passageway with the hole in the clip aligned with the hole in the block.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures CLUSTER ASSEMBLY AND CONNECTOR CLIP THEREFOR This invention relates to a cluster assembly constituted by an insulative block and a plurality of connector clips disposed in said block in spaced relation to each other, the assembly being adapted to be applied to a plurality of conductive terminal pins. The cluster assembly is generally of the type disclosed in U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,101,985, 3,206,715 and 3,566,341, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

Cluster assemblies of this type are used principally inside of a hermetically sealed compressor. The compressor is a compact device having a motor-driven compressor unit disposed in a hermetically sealed casing, the device normally being used in refrigerators and air conditioners. The cluster assembly is one of the most important elements used in the compressor, for it forms the electrical connection of the compressor motor to an external power supply. It is therefore of primary importance that it make a good electrical connection with the pins to which it is applied and that that electrical connection remain throughout the life of the compressor without the cluster assembly falling off the pins due to the vibration of the compressor for otherwise the complete refrigerator or air conditioner will cease to function.

In practice the cluster assembly is shipped to a motor manufacturer and the leads projecting from the cluster assembly are connected to the three input leads to the motor. The motor with the leads attached are shipped to a compressor manufacturer where the motor is assembled in the compressorunit and the cluster assembly is applied to the three terminal pins on the interior of the compressor housing. At various stages in the process just described, the cluster assembly is applied to pins as, for example, at testing stages and, of course, on the compressor unit itself. Thus, it is important for -the cluster assembly, particularly the clip supported in the insulative block, to be able to withstand the-rigors of several applications to pins without distortion to-the point that the clips no longer form a good electrical connection. Such distortion many times arises due to a careless application of the cluster assembly to the pins wherein the cluster assembly is badly cocked with respect to the direction of application.

Prior to the present invention, the problem of reliability of cluster assemblies was attacked in one of two ways. First, the clip could be made of metal of such substantial strength or thickness as to be able to withstand repeated applications while ultimately providing a good final electrical connection. Alternatively, lighter metals have been used and a pin-receiving receptacle formed of those lighter metals in such a way that the metal is wrapped upon itself and locked against spreading apart.

While these approaches have been generally satisfactory, they suffer from two disadvantages which the present invention overcomes. First, the extra thickness of metal and/or the wrap-around construction use substantially more metal than the present invention and are harder to form and, hence, are over-all less economical than the present invention. The second disadvantage is that the wrap-around construction tends to permanently deform when the cluster assembly is severely cocked with respect to the pins during application.

An objective of the present invention has been to provide a connector clip which is of a much simpler construction and utilizes less metals than clips which have been manufactured heretofore, all without any sacrifice to reliability of physical connection to the pins and electrical performance.

The clip of the present invention includes a ferrule of known design adapted to connect the clip to a lead wire and a receptacle constituted by a bottom wall having a pin-receiving hole in it and two side walls projecting perpendicularly from the bottom wall, the side walls being aligned on either side of the hole. The hole is preferably rectangular. The smaller dimension of the hole and spacing of the side walls is a few thousandths of an inch smaller than the diameter of the pin which the receptacle is designed to receive so that there is a press-fit connection between the pin and the clip.

The side walls are planar and lie parallel to each other so that it is possible for the connector clip to rock back and forth with respect to the pin to which it is applied without any stress on the metal whatsoever which would tend to plastically deform it.

It has been another objective of the invention to provide a cluster block adapted to receive the clips and retain them with the pin-receiving hole being aligned with a pin-receiving hole in the cluster block. The cluster block includes three longitudinal passageways adapted to receive the pins, the passageways having abbreviated ramps engageable by the side walls to compress the side walls slightly inwardly as the clips are introduced into the passageways. When the side walls pass beyond the ramps, the side walls spring away and are securely locked behind the ramps. 1

It has been another objective of the invention to provide a short cluster block adapted to be placed upon the pins projecting from the inside of a glass-to-metal seal, the glass-to-metal seal having a bell-shaped skirt surrounding the pins. The cluster assembly has a rearward extension which engages the edge of the skirt and two forward projections which engage the inside of the skirt so as to maintain the short cluster block lying parallel to the edge of the skirt.

These and other objectives of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view partly in section of a cluster assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the one passageway of the cluster assembly illustrating the assembly as applied to a header;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cluster assembly applied to a header; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2.

The cluster assembly indicated at 10 is secured to pins 11, forming a part of a glass-to-metal seal or header 12, the header being mounted on a hermetically sealed casing for a motor compressor unit. The cluster assembly includes a cluster block 14 and three clips 15 each having a lead wire 16 attached to it. Each clip includes a shank 18 having a wire-gripping ferrule 19 having an insulation-gripping portion 20 and a bare wire-gripping portion 21. At the opposite end of the shank 18 is the receptacle 22 which includes a bottom wall 23 and two upwardly projecting side walls 24. A rectangular hole 25 is formed in the bottom wall 23. The hole has a transverse dimension equal to the distance between the side walls 24 and a longitudinal dimension substantially greater than the transverse dimension. The transverse dimension of the hole and the distance between the side walls 24 is slightly less than the diameter of the pins onto which the clip is placed. For example, the one widely used pin size is 0.090 inch and the hole is dimensioned 0.083"/0.087, being approximately 0.005 inch less than the diameter of the pin so as to require a press fit when the clip is applied to the pin.

Each of the side walls has an ear 26 projecting above it, the ear forming a detent by which the clips are secured in place within the block 14.

The cluster block to which the clips are mounted is an integral unit having three longitudinal passageways 30, 31, 32. The outward passageways 30 and 32 are identical to each other and are identical to the center passageway 31 except that the center passageway is displaced rearwardly of the assembly to permit the pinreceiving clips to be spaced equiangularly, thereby creating a rearward extension 33 of the block. Each passageway has a bottom wall 34, two side walls 35 and a top wall 36. The bottom wall has a circular hole 37 through which a pin passes to be received by the clip. The top wall has a rectangular opening 38 having front and rear walls 39 and 40 which create abutments, cooperating with the ears 26 on the clip to fix the longitudinal position of the clip in the passageway.

The side walls of each passageway are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the clip. Each side wall has an abutment 42 formed by the wall 40 of opening 38 which is engaged by a respective ear 26 when the clip is in place to block withdrawal of the clip. A ramp 43 on each side of the passageway leads to each abutment 42 so that as the clip is inserted into the passageway, the ears ride along the respective ramps on each side wall and are thus resiliently compressed inwardly until they pass beyond the abutments 42, whereupon they snap outwardly, thereby firmly locating the ears behind the respective abutments. Longitudinal movement in the opposite direction is blocked by the engagement of the ears 26 with the forward wall 39 of the opening 38.

When the clip is secured in its respective passageway, the rectangular hole 25 overlies the circular pinreceiving hole 37 and is thus in position for application to a pin projecting through the two holes and finally through the hole 38 in the top wall of the cluster block.

When the clips are in place, the cluster assembly is ready for mounting onto the three pins of a header, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. When mounted on the header, the rearward extension 33 of the cluster block which forms the center longitudinal passageway 31 rests upon the skirt 45 of the header 12. The forward end of the cluster block has a foot 46 at each corner, the feet 46 projecting down into the header and resting on the interior surface of the skirt 45, thereby maintaining the cluster block level or flush with the edge of the skirt.

1 claim:

1. A connector clip for application to a pin comprising a shank,

a ferrule at one end of said shank to crimp said clip to a lead wire,

a receptacle for said pin at the opposite end of said shank,

said receptacle including a bottom wall constituting an extension of said shank and having a pinreceiving hole having a minimum dimension slightly smaller than the diameter of the said pin said bottom wall having two spaced longitudinal edges,

two spaced parallel pin-engaging side walls one on each side of said hole and projecting from said spaced longitudinal edges of said bottom wall as integral perpendicular extensions of said bottom wall.

2. A clip as in claim 1 in which said hole is rectangular having a minimum dimension perpendicular to said side walls.

3. A connector clip for application of a pin comprising,

a shank,

a ferrule at one end of said shank to crimp said clip to a lead wire,

a receptacle for said pin at the opposite end of said shank,

said receptacle including a bottom wall constituting an extension of said shank and having a pinreceiving hole, said hole being generally rectangular and having transverse and longitudinal dimensions,

two spaced parallel side walls one at each side of said hole and projecting perpendicularly to said bottom wall,

said side walls being spaced apart a distance equal to the transverse dimension of said hole.

4. A clip as in claim 3 in which said pin is 0.090 inches and said hole has a transverse dimension of 0.083 0.087 inches.

5. A cluster assembly comprising a block of insulative material,

at least one longitudinal clip-receiving passageway in said block,

a transverse pin-receiving hole extending from the outer surface of said block to said passageway,

a clip having a bottom wall having a pin-receiving hole and side walls projecting from said bottom wall as integral perpendicular extensions of said bottom wall and terminating in free end portions, said clip being disposed in said passageway,

and abutment means on said block and clip respectively maintaining said clip in said passageway with the hole in said clip aligned with the hole in said block,

said abutment means comprising,

ramps on both said side walls of said block and terminating in abutments,

detents on the free end portions of said clip side walls engageable with said ramps, said side walls adapted to flex inwardly as said clip is thrust into said passageway to permit said detents to pass beyond said ramps.

6. A connector clip for application to a pin comprisa shank, a ferrule at one end of said shank to crimp said clip to a lead wire,

mately 0.003 to 0.007 inch smaller than the diameter of said pin, and two spaced parallel side walls one on each side of said hole and projecting perpendicularly to said bottom wall. 

1. A connector clip for application to a pin comprising a shank, a ferrule at one end of said shank to crimp said clip to a lead wire, a receptacle for said pin at the opposite end of said shank, said receptacle including a bottom wall constituting an extension of said shank and having a pin-receiving hole having a minimum dimension slightly smaller than the diameter of the said pin said bottom wall having two spaced longitudinal edges, two spaced parallel pin-engaging side walls one on each side of said hole and projecting from said spaced longitudinal edges of said bottom wall as integral perpendicular extensions of said bottom wall.
 2. A clip as in claim 1 in which said hole is rectangular having a minimum dimension perpendicular to said side walls.
 3. A connector clip for application of a pin comprising, a shank, a ferrule at one end of saId shank to crimp said clip to a lead wire, a receptacle for said pin at the opposite end of said shank, said receptacle including a bottom wall constituting an extension of said shank and having a pin-receiving hole, said hole being generally rectangular and having transverse and longitudinal dimensions, two spaced parallel side walls one at each side of said hole and projecting perpendicularly to said bottom wall, said side walls being spaced apart a distance equal to the transverse dimension of said hole.
 4. A clip as in claim 3 in which said pin is 0.090 inches and said hole has a transverse dimension of 0.083 - 0.087 inches.
 5. A cluster assembly comprising a block of insulative material, at least one longitudinal clip-receiving passageway in said block, a transverse pin-receiving hole extending from the outer surface of said block to said passageway, a clip having a bottom wall having a pin-receiving hole and side walls projecting from said bottom wall as integral perpendicular extensions of said bottom wall and terminating in free end portions, said clip being disposed in said passageway, and abutment means on said block and clip respectively maintaining said clip in said passageway with the hole in said clip aligned with the hole in said block, said abutment means comprising, ramps on both said side walls of said block and terminating in abutments, detents on the free end portions of said clip side walls engageable with said ramps, said side walls adapted to flex inwardly as said clip is thrust into said passageway to permit said detents to pass beyond said ramps.
 6. A connector clip for application to a pin comprising, a shank, a ferrule at one end of said shank to crimp said clip to a lead wire, a receptacle for said pin at the opposite end of said shank, said receptacle including a bottom wall constituting an extension of said shank and having a pin-receiving hole, said hole being rectangular and having a minimum dimension perpendicular to said side walls, said minimum dimension being approximately 0.003 to 0.007 inch smaller than the diameter of said pin, and two spaced parallel side walls one on each side of said hole and projecting perpendicularly to said bottom wall. 